Cover for list finders



Nov. 6, 1962 COVER FOR LIST FINDERS Filed Sept. 26, 1960 I INVENTOR \mm 3 WILLIAM 0. BUCKLEY,JR.

SHANLEY 0nd O'NEIL ATTORNEYS w. D. BUCKLEY, JR 3,061,963 I United States Patent Ofiice Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,061,963 covnn non LIST FERS The present invention relates to covers for list finders of the type in which a vertically swinging cover carries with it the members of a stack of lists above the list it is desired to expose. More particularly, the list finders with which the present invention is useful are of the type in which a sliding indicator is placed adjacent a selected one of a plurality of indicia on the list finder, whereupon the cover is released to carry with it the members of a stack of lists above the list corresponding to the indicated member of the series of indicia.

An object of the present invention is the provision of covers for such list finders that will be smooth and accurate in operation.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of covers for such list finders in which means are provided for preventing the indicator from coming to rest between indicia.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide covers for list finders that will be relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, quick and easy to operate, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a list finder having a cover according to the present invention, with the cover closed;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the cover raised and with parts omitted and broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, there is shown a list finder indicated generally at 1 and comprising a base 3 and a vertically swinging cover member 5 mounted for vertical swinging movement about a hori zontal axis at one end thereof on hinges 7 under the influence of a coil tension spring 9 extending between the cover and the base. The material of the list finder may be cast or molded plastic or sheet metal or the like, and a catch 11 is provided at the end of the list finder opposite hinges 7 releasably to retain cover member 5 closed against the action of spring 9, the catch 11 being of the resilient material of the list finder and thus being slightly deformable to release the catch to allow spring 9 to open cover member 5.

On the upper side of cover member 5 there is imprinted a line of indicia 13 which may be the letters of the alphabet or a series of numerals or other indicia. Indicia 13 are formed by stamping or printing or other method of marking and are disposed in a line parallel to one edge 15 of cover member 5. On the inside of the list finder, between base 3 and cover member 5, are included a plurality of lists in a stack (not shown). The lists are mounted for vertical swinging movement with cover member 5 on the usual posts (not shown) adjacent hinges 7, and are recessed at their edges and marked with indicia corresponding to indicia 13, all in the usual manner. The mounting and structure and arrangement of the stack of lists are all quite conventional and are shown for example in US. Patents Nos. 2,575,482 of November 20, 1951, 2,670,741 of March 2, 1954, or 2,791,848 of May 14, 1957, and need not be further described.

Mounted for movement on cover member 5 along edge 15 thereof is a slide member 17 that is generally U-shaped as viewed endwise of edge 15. The upper leg of the U of slide member 17 is provided with an indicator 19 in the form of a pointer that points at selected members of the line of indicia 13 according to the position of slide member 17 along edge 15. The other leg of the U of slide member 17 is provided by a list selector 21 in the form of an arm in the form of a flat tab disposed in a horizontal plane when the cover is closed. List selector 21 functions in the usual way to pick up the cards above the selected card corresponding to the selected member of indicia 13, according to the extent to which the ad jacent edges of the cards are cut away, all as in the conventional manner shown in the above-identified patents.

The lower edge of edge 15 of the cover member is comprised by an outwardly extending flange 23 which extends along most of the length of edge 15 but projects outward from the plane of the outer surface of the rest of edge 15. Flange 23 is straight and is horizontal when the cover is closed. Flange 23 is disposed in a complementary recess 25 extending from side to side of slide member 17. Recess 25 is slightly larger than flange 23 so as to enable slide member 17 to slide freely along edge 15 with flange 23 disposed in recess 25. Also disposed in recess 25 and secured to slide member 17 is a leaf spring 27 which is elongated in the direction of flange 23 and which extends outward in recess 25 from its point of securement to slide member 17 so that it yieldably presses against flange 23 so as to tend to urge flange 23 out of recess 25. Leaf spring 27 is provided with a projection 29 of a size and shape complementary to each of a plurality of indentations 31 spaced apart equal distances along the outer edge of flange 23 and which may be simply molded or cast into the material of flange 23. Thus, leaf spring 27 urges projection 29 into whichever indentation 31 is in alignment with projection 29 and thereby releasably restrains slide member 17 against the freest sliding movement along edge 15. Indeed, the movement of slide member 17 lengthwise of edge 15 is characterized by a series of jolts each corresponding to the momentary engagement of projection 29 in each successive identation 31. Indentations 31 are spaced apart distances corresponding to the distances between individual members of the line of indicia 13 and are so disposed that when projection 29 is in an indentation 31, indicator 19 will be pointing directly at the corresponding member of the line of indicia 13. In this way, indicator 19 will not be brought to rest between indicia and the operation of selector 21 will in every instance be sure and accurate.

Disposed immediately above and parallel to flange 23 is an elongated slot 33 running most of the length of cover member 5. Slot 33 has an enlarged end 35 adjacent hinges 7. A guide member 37 is secured to the inner side of slide member 17 between indicator 19 and selector 21 and extends through slot 33 and terminates on the inner side of cover member 5 in an enlarged head 39 of a diameter greater than the width of slot 33 but less than the diameter of enlarged end 35 of slot 33. In this way, slide member 17 may be assembled to cover member 5 by inserting head 39 through enlarged end 35 of slot 33 before the cover is engaged with hinges 7, and then moving guide member 37 into the narrow portion of slot 33. Upon engagement of cover member 5 with hinges 7, in the positions of FIGURES 1 or 2, head 39 is thereafter prevented by the hinge mountings from returning to enlarged end 35 of slot 33, and the slide member is effectively secured to the cover.

Leaf spring 27 and flange 23 and head 39 and the inner side of cover member 5 are so related that leaf spring 27 yieldably bears on the outer edge of flange 23 so as yieldably to urge head 39 toward and into contact with the inner side of cover member 5. Leaf spring 27 thus provides the double function of releasably stopping slide member 17 opposite any selected indentation 31 and thus precisely positioning indicator 19 adjacent a selected member of indicia 13, and also of yieldably urging head 39 into engagement with the inner side of cover member thereby to steady slide member 17 in its movement along edge 15.

It should also be noted that flange 23 performs the functions not only of carrying identations 31 and coacting in recess 25 with leaf spring 27, but also of reinforcing the lower or outer edge of slot 33.

From a consideration of the foregoing description, it will be obvious that all of the intially recited objects of the present invention have been achieved.

Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in connection with preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, as those skilled in this art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cover for a list finder of the type in which a vertically swinging cover carries with it the members of a stack of lists above the list it is desired to expose, comprising a cover member having a series of indicia on the upper side thereof in a line parallel to one edge of the cover member, a list selector in the form of a slide member mounted for sliding movement on the cover member along said one edge of the cover member, the slide member having an indicator on the upper side of the cover member and movable along the line of indicia and a selector member extending inward of said one edge of the cover member and disposed on the under side of the cover member with said one edge of the cover member disposed between the indicator and the selector member, said one edge of the cover member having an outwardly extending flange disposed in a complementary recess in the slide member and an elongated slot extending through and lengthwise of said one edge of the cover member and parallel to said flange, a guide member carried by the inner side of the slide member and extending through the slot and terminating in an enlarged head which is on the inner side of the cover member and which is of a diameter greater than the width of the slot thereby to retain the slide member in assembly with the cover member, and a leaf spring carried by the slide member in said recess and bearing resiliently and slidably against said flange and having a portion selectively releasably engageable in any of a plurality of a series of recesses spaced apart along the outer side of said flange distances corresponding to the distances between said indicia, the leaf spring urging the head of the guide member toward and into contact with the inner side of the cover member.

2. A cover for a list finder as claimed in claim 1, said flange being disposed below and extending laterally outward beyond said slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 114,090 Meier Apr. 4, 1939 2,115,537 Peter Apr. 26, 1938 2,341,983 Faas Feb. 15, 1944 2,785,489 Launert Mar. 19, 1957 2,794,282 Sherman et a1 June 4, 1957 

